Online Webinar: Exclusive First Look at Artlantis 5

What it's About:
Artlantis 5 is an easy-to-use, powerful new 3D rendering application developed especially for architects and designers, ideal for quickly and easily creating high-resolution 3D renderings, animations, iVisit VR Objects and Panoramas. This webinar will provide an exclusive first look at many of the new features in Artlantis 5, which goes on sale September 3, 2013!

Who is Presenting:
Chris Stringer is General Manager of Objects Online, Abvent’s Artlantis distributor in the US & Canada. Trained as an architect, Chris has been involved in architectural software sales, training, and support since 1996. His professional interests include 3D parametric modeling and 3D visualization.

Who Should Attend:
Architects, Designers, 3D modelers, and anyone interested in photo realistic 3D visualization.

The webinar will last about about 1 hour, including the Q & A session. Registration is free, but space is limited. Mark the date (Sept. 4, 2013) and reserve your webinar seat now.

 Register for the Webinar

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

 Artlantis Pricing & Ordering

Artlantis 5 Sneak Peek: God Rays

Abvent has revealed what's behind the letter 'O' in R E V O L U T I O N...and Artlantis 5 promises to be nothing less than revolutionary!

The new volumetric lighting feature that will be available in Artlantis 5 can be activated for the Heliodon, as well, simulating the so-called God Rays as a result. God Rays, as the name implies, are those ethereal, visible rays of light reaching down from the heavens. We've all observed how in real life, under the right conditions, the sun casts a warm curtain of light through obstructions like clouds, leaves, etc. God Rays are an incredibly dramatic addition to your Artlantis tool kit.

Don't forget to visit www.artlantis5.com and join the Artlantis 5 revolution by signing up for regular updates!

Also, a reminder that Abvent has announced free upgrades to Artlantis 5 on all Artlantis 4 licenses purchased on or after July 1, 2013! This offer includes Artlantis 4 first and additional full licenses as well as upgrades. New customers and long-time Artlantis users alike will benefit from this extraordinary offer!

 Watch the Video

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

 Find out more at artlantis5.com

All's Well That's Maxwell

The standout feature in Artlantis 4.1 is undoubtedly the optional Maxwell Render engine. Maxwell Render is legendary for its physically accurate rendering engine, generating hyper-realistic images that rival photographs. With the addition of this engine in Artlantis, you will have access to both the fastest rendering engine and the most accurate rendering engine on the market today...truly the best of both worlds. We'll discuss some of the logistical issues with the new Maxwell Render engine, then delve into some of the important benefits, to give you an indication of where the Maxwell Render engine might best fit into your workflow.

The Maxwell Render engine is automatically installed with Artlantis 4.1 and runs in a watermarked demo mode for 30 days. To use it to generate a rendering, simply select "Maxwell Render..." under the Inspector menu. Naturally, to achieve the higher levels of quality possible with the Maxwell Render engine, there is a significant rendering time increase when compared to the Artlantis engine (could be 5, 10, or even 20 times longer, depending on how long you let it run), so it's important to do some testing to get a feel for what to expect so that you can plan your projects accordingly. Because it is an add-on product licensed from Next Limit Technologies, the purchase of a separate serial number is required. At this time, there are no upgrade or side-grade discounts on this product for existing Maxwell Render owners.

Even if you already own the stand-alone Maxwell Render product, there are some compelling reasons why the Maxwell Render engine for Artlantis is a good investment. First, because Artlantis offers a faster rendering engine, it makes sense to start your rendering project in Artlantis to be able quickly produce preliminary renderings. Should the need arise to create higher quality renderings using the Maxwell Render engine, you'll already have most of your project set up done...just a few tweaks (i.e. applying the dedicated Maxwell Shaders to reflective and refractive surfaces, such as metals and glass) and you're ready to go. Furthermore, the Artlantis user interface is simpler to use and easier to master, so there is no need to get bogged down in the complex interface of the stand-alone Maxwell Render software in order to get the benefits of its rendering engine. Finally, the Maxwell Render engine costs $250 less than Maxwell Render stand-alone, making it an incredible value for both Artlantis users and existing Maxwell Render users alike.

Try the new Maxwell Render engine out for yourself and see what it can do for your renderings.

 Maxwell Render Pricing and Ordering

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

 Artlantis Pricing and Ordering
 Maxwell Render Tutorial - Reverse a normal for neon effect

 Maxwell Render Tutorial - Easy reflections and shininess settings

The Sky's the Limit with Artlantis 4.1's new HDRI Backgrounds feature

Artlantis 4.1 continues to dazzle and amaze with a rich set of excellent new features, including the new HDRI Background environments option. We're going to break down exactly what an HDR image is, and how you can start using them today to help create an immersive, detailed environment with realistic ambient lighting effects in your renderings.

High Dynamic Range Image (or Imaging) is a method of capturing a higher range of lighting intensities in an image by taking multiple photographs of the exact same view at variety of different exposures. Through the use of software, the photographs are merged into a single HDR image file, which can then be manipulated in different ways through the use of tone mapping. Tone mapping enables the full range of intensities in the image to be utilized at will, creating anything from a subdued effect that simply better balances the contrast between light & dark areas of the image, to an extremely exaggerated effect where the high contrast creates an otherworldly atmosphere.

In 3D rendering applications like Artlantis, HDR images tends toward the more subdued, balanced use of background imagery to create realistic-looking immersive 360-degree environments. But, because the full range of lighting exposures are embedded into an HDR image, that same image can also serve as a light source for the scene, creating highly convincing ambient lighting on the surfaces of the 3D model.

What does all this mean, then? Simplicity! Select your HDR image in the Perspective Inspector: Environment settings: Background settings, then click on the HDRI button to turn on HDR lighting and adjust the intensity. Optionally, you can still add a heliodon (with or without shadows and lens flare) to create additional daylighting effects in an HDRI-lit scene. Now, it's your turn to download the free HDRI samples and try it out on your model in Artlantis 4.1!

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

 Download the HDRI Samples

 Artlantis 4.1 Pricing and Ordering